San Diego City Wire

Illicit fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat facing the nation and can be found in every city, community, and neighborhood. It is a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Fentanyl cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted and is often added to other drugs to make them cheaper, more powerful, and more addictive.

National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is in August, and San Diego County is dedicated to spreading awareness about the dangers of fentanyl poisoning and the precautions that can prevent overdose deaths.

The County’s comprehensive Harm Reduction Strategy includes distributing lifesaving naloxone and fentanyl test strips to anyone who wants them. Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a nasal spray that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. There are many locations across the county where cost-free naloxone is publicly available.

From January to December 2023, the County distributed more than 28,000 naloxone kits, nearly 4,000 of them through the 16 naloxone vending machines available across the county.

If you or someone you care about is in crisis or would like behavioral health resources or support, please call the Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240 (24 hours a day, seven days a week). Calls are answered by experienced counselors with assistance available in over 150 languages.

Public Health Nurse and Narcan Save a Life

VIDEO: County and Local Law Enforcement Hand Out Naloxone Kits to Save Lives

First Naloxone Vending Machine Installed in San Diego County

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County Communications Office communications@sdcounty.ca.gov

619-595-4633